Sanders Campaign Press Release - Bernie 2020 Announces First Iowa and New Hampshire Hires

WASHINGTON – Bernie 2020 announced Tuesday the first slate of early state hires in Iowa and New Hampshire. The senior hires represent new and returning campaign staff with extensive experience in progressive electoral politics, issue advocacy and local, state and federal government work.

"We are building an unprecedented campaign operation alongside millions of volunteers dedicated to a political system that works for everyone. Iowa and New Hampshire helped launch the political revolution in 2016 and now, with the help of our incredible organizers and political leaders in the first two primary and caucus states, we will finish that revolution and fundamentally transform this country." said Faiz Shakir, campaign manager.

IOWA
Misty Rebik, State Director
Misty was the campaign manager of Cathy Glasson's run for governor of Iowa. She comes to Bernie 2020 from One Iowa, where she led LGBTQ+ Rights and Education work in the Iowa City Corridor. Misty is a longtime Iowa organizer focused on workers' rights, LGBTQ+ health and leadership development, and income inequality. As regional director of Strategic Partnerships & Development at Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, she helped launch the first-ever transgender care program with Planned Parenthood in Iowa. Previously, she also served as co-founder and founding director of Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa.

Jess Mazour, Political Director
Jess served as lead organizer on the Farm & Environment team at Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement for more than six years. She worked with rural Iowans to build a food and agricultural system that works for farmers, eaters, workers, and the environment, successfully stopped nearly 100 factory farms from building in Iowa and helped to pass factory farm moratorium resolutions in 23 counties across the state. Jess also helped introduce a Moratorium Bill in the Iowa Senate and House chambers with nearly 20 co-sponsors and build and lead a 10-state coalition of farmers and ranchers to develop a new narrative around our food system.

Evan Burger, State Caucus Director
Evan Burger joins the campaign from Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (Iowa CCI) where he coordinated their political work as a Senior Organizer. Prior to that, Evan served as the Iowa Advance Director for Bernie 2016

Pete D'Alessandro, Senior Advisor
Pete is a veteran of Iowa and national politics and Bernie 2016 alumni servings in multiple capacities as Iowa State Campaign Coordinator, Oklahoma State Director, Senior Adviser in Nebraska, Indiana State Director, Director of Northern California and the National Convention Delegate Director. Previously, he's worked for Leonard Boswell, Tom Vilsack and Chet Culver amongst others, as well as presidential campaigns for Bill Bradley, Dick Gephardt, Tom Vilsack and Barack Obama in Iowa.

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Joe Caiazzo, State Director
Bernie 2016 alumni Joe Caiazzo joins the campaign after managing Sheldon Whitehouse's successful 2018 Senate re-election campaign. Caiazzo previously served as Political Director in Massachusetts and Rhode Island for Sanders' first White House bid, later working to elect Hillary Clinton in the general election as Rhode Island State Director.

Carli Stevenson, Deputy State Director and Communications Director
Carli Stevenson, a native of Hampton, New Hampshire, joins the campaign from the online advocacy group, Demand Progress. An alum of Bernie 2016, she served as Deputy Communications Director in NH, before moving on to communications and political roles in Minnesota, Ohio, and Indiana. Carli comes from a long background in labor organizing with UNITE HERE, AFSCME and Massachusetts Nurses Association, as well as roles at the New Hampshire Democratic Party, Jackie Cilley for State Senate, 2010, and Every Child Matters in New Hampshire.

Kurt Ehrenberg, New Hampshire Senior Advisor
Kurt is a longtime resident of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and alumni of Bernie 2016 as the state's political director. Previously, he worked as the political and legislative director of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO and regional staff at the Concord-based Sierra Club.